cabin
Americannoun
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cabins
plural
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a small house or cottage, usually of simple design and construction.
He was born in a cabin built of rough logs.
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an enclosed space for more or less temporary occupancy, as the living quarters in a trailer or the passenger space in a cable car.
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the enclosed space for the pilot, cargo, or especially passengers in an air or space vehicle.
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an apartment or room in a ship, as for passengers.
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(in a naval vessel) living accommodations for officers.
- Synonyms:
- compartment
adverb
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
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a small simple dwelling; hut
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a simple house providing accommodation for travellers or holiday-makers at a motel or holiday camp
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a room used as an office or living quarters in a ship
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a covered compartment used for shelter or living quarters in a small boat
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(in a warship) the compartment or room reserved for the commanding officer
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another name for signal box
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the enclosed part of a light aircraft in which the pilot and passengers sit
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the part of an airliner in which the passengers are carried
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the section of an aircraft used for cargo
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verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of cabin
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English cabane, from Middle French, from Old Provençal cabana, from Late Latin capanna, of uncertain, perhaps pre-Latin origin; spelling with “i” perhaps by influence of French cabine ( see cabinet)
Explanation
A small wooden hut or cottage can be called a cabin, especially if it's in a remote or wooded place. Your grandfather's cabin on a lake might be your favorite place to visit in the summer. You might dream of living in a cabin deep in the forest, or on the edge of a mountain. Another kind of cabin is a small compartment or room, particularly one on a ship or an airplane. If you have "cabin fever," it means you're restless and cranky after being stuck in a small space for too long. The word comes from a Late Latin root, capanna, "hut."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
British budget carrier easyJet has called off about 100 flights out of French airports on Saturday and Sunday because of a strike by cabin crew furious over repeated changes to their schedules.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
In 2021, Mariah O’Brien Interiors and Mind Tree Arts added an 875-square-foot extension space where a cabin was built.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Nepenthe, known for its legendary clifftop views, has been in operation since 1949 and features a log cabin that is more than a century old.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Rather, he said "it's a lot harder to deal with at 32,000 feet in an aircraft cabin".
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Gelifen came staggering up the steps from the cabin, peeping in terror.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Since the pandemic, several new or revamped lodgings have boosted glamping and other upscale elements in a territory once better known for old cabins.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Heading west from Guerneville, you roll through Monte Rio, seeing more redwoods, cabins and glimpses of river.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The 36-acre spread includes a 5,149-square-foot main house, several cabins, a pool, and a backyard with views of the Pedernales River.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Delta said the new options represent a cheaper entry point to premium cabins that give fliers additional choices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Hiring himself out to neighbors and relatives, he chopped wood, plowed fields, brought in hay, and built barns and cabins.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
